Making charity trek against cancer

Published:13:50Thursday 08 August 2013

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A group of dedicated fund raisers completed a charity trek and raised £2,500 for MacMillan Cancer Support.

The 11 work mates from structual engineering company William Hare, in Scarborough, undertook the challenging Lyke Wake Walk - a 40-mile trek across the North Yorkshire Moors from inland Osmotherly to the coastal Ravenscar.

The hike took the team 17-hours, continuing throughout the night in bad weather conditions.

Gary Sollitt, 55, of St Oswald Road, Bridlington, is the works manager at William Hare and organised the walk.

He said: “I think it was a big achievement for one or two of the lads. Some of the lads did feel quite poorly at the end with blisters.

“The weather was quite bad during the night, so by the time we have walked for about eight or nine hours the tiredness and fatigue starts to kick in. But I think there was a sense of relief and achievement at the end.”

The inspiration for taking on the challenge was the loss of team member Paul Slade’s brother to cancer in June last year. “He wanted to do something so we said we put a notice up in the factory about the walk,” said Gary.

William Hare sponsored each walker £50, and from work colleagues alone the team collected between £600 and £700. Gary’s sister, Anna Rhodes, who works at Jo-An’ Hair Salon in Marton Road, Bridlington, raised £166 from her customers.

Gary said: “I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to us.

“People have heard about MacMillan and I think it is about the support and the listening they do, and the time they give up.

“When I spoke to people they said the caring side of it, and just the listening and being there for them is why they are so good.”

On the team were three other men from Bridlington: Lee Wright, Jamie Norton and Nick Morrison. Kit Ledger, from Driffield also took part, along with Paul Slade, Jamie Scotter, Trevor Lawty, Aaron Rose, Iain Prince, Alan Moment, Steve Burlinson and Ron Glegg from Scarborough. Two of the participants were not walking, but accompanied the team in back up vehicles.